10 Simple Ways To Increase Your Intelligence

For a very long time, the IQ test was considered the final word on an individual's intelligence. Not anymore.

Current research shows that true human intelligence is determined by 3 components of the mind - your reasoning ability, the strength of your short-term memory, and your verbal skills.

And since all three components have independent circuits in your brain, most people score high in one component while they lag in others.

So here are 10 simple ways to increase your intelligence, regardless of where you fall in the intelligence curve.

1. Learn, Learn, And Learn Some More

The human brain is incredibly plastic. Feed it information, it grows sharper. Forgot to sharpen its edges with new skills, it becomes rusted.

So if you want to increase your intelligence, develop a habit of learning new things every day, even if it's reading 1 article a day or listening to a short podcast episode in your favourite niche.

2. Read

This might sound dull and boring if you are not an avid reader, but studies have shown that reading is incredibly good for the brain.

Not only does it improve your imagination and creativity, it also helps improve your vocabulary, ability to be empathetic, and your ability to articulate your thoughts clearly in day-to-day life.

3. Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

A vast amount of research data has proven without a doubt that those who are emotionally intelligent make better leaders than those with plain, rational intelligence. Why? Because they are capable of evoking loyalty and inspire their followers.

So if your EQ is lagging at the moment, pick up Daniel Goleman's iconic book, Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ. You will learn quite a lot.

4. Change The Way You Do Routine Tasks

This is another easy way to jog your brain. Just change the way you do your routine tasks.

For example, if you brush your teeth with your right hand, use your left for a few days. This will make your brain create new pathways to adjust to the alien-ness of a familiar routine.

5. Don’t Rely On Google All The Time

While Google and other technological advances have made our life infinitely easier, they have also trained us to stop using our brains.

So the next time you are lost at the intersection of a new city, try asking the locals for directions, instead of switching on the GPS. The extra effort will strengthen your brain.

Note: We are not asking you to stop using technology. This point simply asks you to consciously choose the harder path from time to time so it can jog your brain. It's like lifting weights. There is no need to do it, but we still choose to do it, nevertheless.

6. Explain Things To Yourself

Next time you come across some new information, take some time out (alone) to explain the concept to yourself out loud. You can even do it in front of a mirror and pretend you are the teacher and the reflection the student.

This takes advantage of the fact that your brain remembers things better when you hear it.

7. Summarize Concepts In 140 Characters

If you are a Twitter fan, this point will interest you. Just try summarizing big concepts in 140 characters. It will force you to edit your thoughts, make them more concise, and improve your communication skills.

And if you do not use Twitter, just write it down in your online or offline journal (in 140 characters)!

8. Play Brain Games

The best thing about living in the 21st century is that we have a buffet of apps that promise to make our lives better. And app-based brain games are no different.

From Elevate (Editor's Choice in Google Playstore) to Lumosity, you can download a wide range of brain games that target the different components of your intelligence.

9. Surround Yourself With Smart People

You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with. So, if you want to be smarter, choose to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. This will expose you to ideas and executive techniques you would not have known otherwise.

Also, if you are the smartest person in your clique, before long, you will equalize to the level of your dumb friends.

10. Live And Eat Healthy

"You are what you eat." This maxim applies to every organ in your body, including the brain.

So if you eat unhealthy, preservative-rich, and artificial foods, your brain tends to deteriorate and accumulate dementia-causing plaque over time. And the same is true for an unhealthy lifestyle, like having the habit of smoking.

So live healthy and eat healthy as that directly impacts your brain and in turn improves your intelligence.

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